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BREAKING: Algoma Steel laying off more than 1,000 workers

SooToday

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Couch Potato, if you knew anything about the steel industry you would understand that this has nothing to do with the Liberal Government and everything to do with Algoma staying competitive in the global steel markets. Alhoma is owned by Americans, you think the liberals had anything to do with the decisions to build an EAF and bank the blast furnace??EAFs are more cost effective, more flexible, and create a lower cost per ton steel.You cant shut down a blast furnace, so if there are operational issues in the mills Algoma has to keep producing iron, dumping iron and wasting millions. With an EAF that won't happen. By your thinking you'd rather them keep the blast furnace, go bankrupt again and potentially close all together.

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City won’t take over YMCA but will help absorb loss of programs: mayor

SooToday

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Lets spend 11 million on consultants and as per the Sootoday 2023 article spend 37 million on Queen St. which will only benefit the building owners and the old boys club...(see below..)But lets not help out the YMCA which benefits so many people young and old, helps families with day care and kids camps, and has many amazing programs for all ages. For readers tracking how much cash the city is pouring into downtown, here's a tally of current and planned initiativesdowntown plaza – $11.6 millionSoo Mrkt move to Brock Street – $3 million Queen Street reconstruction – $18 millionSpring Street woonerf – $3 million to $4 millionTOTAL – Almost $37 million

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Poilievre blames prime minister for 1,000 Algoma Steel layoffs

SooToday

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This is coming from the Pierre Poilievre has voted against Bills aimed at expanding EI. And hes going to help how? The reality is, this was planned a long time ago, because of a private companies decision yo modernize, the timeliness was just moved up. He voted against reducing the EI waiting period from two weeks to one week and vited to cut support for unemployed workers during his time as a government MP. This guy is so full of it.

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Algoma Steel issues historic statement on blast furnace, cokemaking

SooToday

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Here's a link to the study if you think the stats are unsubstantiated. As a previous employee, and one whos seen many coworkers get sick, get cancer, die to early in life, this is great news for the community. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12618997/

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Desbarats restaurant hopes two-year liquor license standoff with township over

SooToday

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Unfortunately Johnson township council is rife with nepotism. If you don't have a certain last name, then they make life difficult for you. The taxes are absurdly high, and the council does many questionable things.. is. awarding oad contracts to family members hiring family for positions even if they arent qualified etc etc. This doesn't shock me that the council has done this. It's a shame for the people that live in Johnson township. Shame on you mayor and council.

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500 new jobs coming to Algoma Steel next year: Joly

SooToday

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@respect Let’s dial back the conspiracy theories, yeah?I spent 15 years at Algoma Steel, so let me help you out here. Out of roughly 100 steel mills in the U.S., about 75 operate EAFs, representing around *70% of total American steel production*. This isn’t some shadowy “green scheme” it’s simply where modern steelmaking has been heading for decades.And no, the federal government didn’t force Algoma into anything. Algoma is a private company. The government provided funding support because believe it or not Canada actually needs steel, and EAFs are the global standard for efficiency, flexibility, and yes, environmental improvements.If you bothered to look into the health impacts of traditional steelmaking, you’d also understand why many of us who worked inside the mill welcome cleaner operations. I’ve watched coworkers die far too young or live with chronic illnesses from the old processes… but I’m sure in your world that’s probably “the Liberals’ fault” too.

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Ward 4 councillor broke code of conduct, integrity commissioner rules

SooToday

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The City owes it to the tax payers to release this information to the public. The tax payers should be able to see what consulting firms are being selected, are they local, are the out of town, what is the distribution. What are the quotes and what is the selection process. Are the consulting bids being evenly dispersed or is one firm being favored. Can we do the study's needed in house, or locally instead of farming it out. I realize there are a lot of niche area's where experts are needed, but the selection process and spending needs to be transparent. 11 Million is a huge amount to spend on consultants, and in my experience with them, they typically charge in the $100s of dollars per hour range. We n be able to scrutinize it. Kinach right here. Maybe his delivery was wrong, but it show's the passion he has to protect the tax payers and hold city staff accountable.Let's see a 4 yr spening report Mayor Shoemaker

Desbarats restaurant hopes two-year liquor license standoff with township over

SooToday

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It's funny, the hardware store across the street can sell alcohol... why can't the restaurant?

Joly highlights green steel potential during Algoma Steel tour

SooToday

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@Brayden.. your joking right. The EAF eliminates the blast furnace and coke ovens.. Do you have any idea how toxic both of those processes are? Do some research, you'd be suprised. This also eliminatesthe mountains of dust producing iron ore pellets and coke....

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Algoma Steel issues historic statement on blast furnace, cokemaking

SooToday

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And to your comment about mini mills. I toured a Mini Mill in Indiana, SDI Butler, with a very similar Mill to the DSPC and an EAF. They put out almost double of what the dspc could, 4 million tons a year and they were one of the most profitable steel mills in North America. I think the city would rather have a profitable mini Mill with a thousand employees over a constantly bankrupt integrated Mill with 3,000 employeesLook it up - SDI is consistently one of the most profitable American steel companies, with high-margin steel fabrication and recycling operations.

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Details announced for town hall meeting about downtown safety

SooToday

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Why is this being held at such a small venue? Should be in a larger venue to accommodate more people.

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Remote work about to end for thousands of employees

SooToday

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@hatch Great Place To Work (2025): A four-year analysis of 1.3 million employees revealed that firms supporting remote work saw productivity levels 42% higher than typical in-person workplaces.Statistics Canada (2024): Data showed productivity in the federal public service, which operated largely remotely, grew by 4.5% between 2019 and 2023, outpacing the private sector.Hubstaff (2024): Research found remote workers gain roughly 62 hours of "deep work" per year by avoiding office interruptions and impromptu meetings.

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Algoma Steel will close two lines at its plate and strip complex

SooToday

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Tell me you don't understand the steel making process without telling me you don't understand the steel making process.. One of the most profitable and high quality mills in the US is SDI. They use an electric arc furnace. The chemical properties of the steel are refined in the LMF, the mechanical properties are refined in rolling mill/cooling process...

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Algoma Steel issues historic statement on blast furnace, cokemaking

SooToday

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@ryan Benjamin That’s a massive overreaction. Algoma Steel ≠ the entire Sault economy.The Sault has thousands of jobs outside Algoma: Sault Area Hospital, Group Health Centre, City of SSM, Algoma University, Sault College, two school boards, OLG, police/fire, federal & provincial government offices, Tenaris, JD Aero, Heliene (solar), Arauco, McDougall Energy, utilities, construction, aviation, logistics, retail, tourism, and small businesses across Algoma.Layoffs hurt families and deserve concern — but calling it “the end of the Soo” ignores how diversified the region actually is. This city has survived mill shutdowns before and kept going. One employer struggling does not equal a dead community.

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YMCA closure impacts 169 jobs, puts 541 daycare spaces at risk

SooToday

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I'm not sure if this is even feasible but could Childcare Algoma, or an Investor look at buying or taking over the satellite day cares except the one at the YMCA. I'm not sure if daycare's are a profitable venture for a business owner but it's could be something to look into. They would be helping a lot of families out.

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City considers roundabout at Second Line and Goulais Avenue

SooToday

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There's some data that shows it's safer for pedestrians, but I'm not convinced. Wouldn't want to cross the round about in Sault Michigan.

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Highway 17 closed again north of Sault

SooToday

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Just here for the comments

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Flooding closes Highway 17 in Lake Superior Provincial Park

SooToday

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I drove to wawa last week. There was a pond on the right side of the road past Cresent Lake that was right up to the asphalt on the side of the highway. I imagine it would have flooded over the road during the storm yesterday and possibly washed it out. The highway is in amazing shape, have you driven it lately? @Dorothy

With layoffs looming, Algoma Steel wants a property tax cut

SooToday

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Im confused. If I build a new garage on my property my taxes go up. Algoma just built the new EAF building, shouldn't their taxes go up. Ontario has not conducted a province-wide reassessment since 2016. Most properties, including large industrial sites, are still taxed based on decade-old market values.

Algoma Steel completes $500 million in government financing deals

SooToday

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DigitalPuppetMan - Dofasco in Hamilton had to close their wire mill and lay off 193 people. The tariffs are directly affecting all Canadian Steel Mills. Algoma is on the right track to becoming a top producing mill in Canada. There are a lot of people in here commenting that don't understand the economics of the steel industry. Mini mill's are the way of the future. One of the KPI's the steel industry uses is labor costs per ton, and some of the top producing mills in North America have a much lower head count and put out much higher tonnage than Algoma. For Algoma to stay competitive, and keep running for another 100 years they have to modernize, lower their head count and utilize new processes. There will be some short term losses, layoffs, and some growing pains, but that's the only way they can survive. I've been to a mini mill in the US, that had an EAF and strip mill similar to the DSPC. They ran 3 million tons a year with 1/4 of the staff that Algoma has.